4 – Olympic hero Michael Phelps is arrested near his home in Maryland for DWI. The 19-year-old later apologizes and says he made a mistake.

7 – Tiger Woods takes a four-stroke lead into the The Tour Championship, only to lose by five strokes to Retief Goosen.

9 – After leading the NL in winning percentage with an 18-4 record to go with his 2.98 ERA, the ageless Roger Clemens wins his seventh Cy Young Award and first in the senior circuit.

11 – Twins ace Johan Santana rides his 20-6 record and 2.61 ERA to unanimous selection as the AL Cy Young Award winner.

13 – A “Night of the Heavyweights” in Madison Square Garden features the ejection of WBA Champ John Ruiz’ trainer, Norman Stone, and an ugly fight in which Ruiz defeats Andrew Golota. In another fight, ancient and shot Evander Holyfield catches 260 punches and delivers only 78 in losing a near-shutout to Larry Donald. Afterward, Holyfield says he’s going to keep fighting.

15 – A bare-naked lady named Nicolette Sheridan leaps into the arms of Terrell Owens during ABC’s intro to the Monday Night Football game between the Eagles and Cowboys. The shot, a promo for the hit show “Desperate Housewives,” touches off a week of controversy filled with apologies of questionable sincerity, outrage, charges of racial stereotyping, FCC moralizing, and uncountable columns filled with amusement, outrage or both.

16 – Despite rumors of steroid use, Barry Bonds wins his fourth straight NL MVP award and seventh overall.

17 - Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels easily wins the AL MVP award. Gary Sheffield of the Yankees is a distant second.

Jeff Kowalsky / EPA via Sipa Press In the worst brawl in NBA history, Ron Artest of the Pacers charged into the stands and attacked fans during the final moments of a win over the Pistons.

19 – With less than a minute to go in a Pistons-Pacers game in the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., Pacers forward Ron Artest commits a hard foul on Pistons center Ben Wallace. The ensuing pushing and wrestling on the court erupts into a brawl when a fan throws a water bottle at Artest, who reacts by charging the stands along with several teammates. Pacers Artest, Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson along with Wallace are suspended “indefinitely” the next day by NBA commissioner David Stern.

20 – Hard on the heels of the Pacers-Pistons brawl, a ten-minute donnybrook erupts at the South Carolina-Auburn game as both teams go hand-to-hand across the field. Before the South Carolina-Auburn game, Gamecocks coach Lou Holtz confirms that he is retiring at the end of the season. Former Florida and Redskins coach Steve Spurrier is anointed to take his place.

20 - After Penn State’s final game, just his fourth win of the season, Joe Paterno says he’s coming back for one more year at Penn State.

21 – Tiger Woods wins the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan, his first stroke-play title since October, 2003. His only Tour win of 2004 had been in a match-play tournament in February.

21 – Kurt Busch takes fifth place in Ford 400 in Homestead, Fla., good enough to win the Nextel Cup by eight points over runner-up Jimmie Johnson and 16 over third-place Jeff Gordon. The 10-race playoff format had been heavily criticized by the drivers when it was implemented, but it produces the most exciting racing of the year.

22 – David Stern suspends Ron Artest for the remainder of the season for his role in the Nov. 19 brawl in the Detroit. Pacers Jermaine O’Neal is suspended for 25 games, Stephen Jackson for 30, Anthony Johnson for 5, and Piston Ben  Wallace for  6. Four other players – Pacer Reggie Miller and Pistons Derek Coleman, Elden Campbell, and Chauncey Billups are suspended one game each for leaving the bench. Naturally, the Players association appeals.

30 – The University of Notre Dame fires head football coach Tyrone Willingham just three years into his contract. It is the first time Notre Dame has fired a coach before completing at least five years of his deal.

Month-by-month look at 2004 January February March April May June July August September October November December

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